The second TV series based on Tenchi Muyo!, Tenchi in Tokyo is very different from its predecessors. It includes a different backstory for the main characters but in general seems to assume that viewers are familiar with previous versions of the storyline.In this series, Tenchi just wants to be normal, so he leaves his Harem behind to go to school in Tokyo and work at his grandfather's friend's Shinto shrine. While there he meets Sakuya Kumashiro, the most popular girl in school, who is (naturally) smitten with him, and things seem good... unfortunately, a mysterious girl with fearsome powers named Yugi is threatening Tokyo, and it's often up to Tenchi's old friends (who are all trying to see him anyway) to come and save him... not just from Yugi, but also from Sakuya!The first half of the series is something of a Monster of the Week situation, but the later portion sees the traditional crew falling apart, only to come back together when they're really needed.
Tropes used include:
Most of those from the main Tenchi Muyo! page, plus...
Ascended Extra: Famous Gonk Amagasaki becomes a recurring character in this series.
Evil Plan: Take Over the World type, but the plot itself Yugi splitting up Tenchi's harem so he won't be able to counter-attack whenn she makes her move.
JerkassFlanderization: Tenchi and the six girls; the girls' less-than-appealing traits and Tenchi's usually comedic irritable responses to them were all accentuated to the point of Superdickery. Yugi's plan would've never worked on the OVA cast, for example, in fact she would've been beaten and brought into the house by her attack in episode 13 if Tenchi didn't invite Sakuya over to see everyone beforehand.
Karma Houdini: The show tries to portray Yugi as a troubled girl that couldn't control her powers and driven insane by loneliness, however she takes way too much enjoyment in separating the group as well as impaling Ryoko through the neck. Especially after she re-absorbs a terrified Sakuya and then mind-raping Tenchi with her Lotus-Eater Machine, she really gets off easy with just a slap.
Ryoko's a notorious space pirate, as usual. She lands on Earth in this series trying to steal the Jurai Light Stone with Washu, after which Tenchi nursed her and the others back to health. Seeing him kiss Sakuya, she goes back to pirating on an S-class scale to try to run away from her problems. She never gets arrested or imprisoned in any way for her crimes, and seems to be the frontrunner for Tenchi at endgame with Sakuya out of the picture.
Going beyond Ryoko. EVERYONE of the main cast Took a Level in Jerkass when compared to the other series (see JerkassFlanderization above), we have Yugi as has already been mentioned, and Sakuya is essentially Yugi's love-love shadow marionette. The series ends with everybody happy. Including Yugi, who agreed to put herself on a bus, with the possibility that she could wake up, grow up, and either become or reawaken Sakuya left wide open.
Left Hanging: This is the only Tenchi series never to get any kind of sequel or other installment in the continuity, so we never do get to find out if Yugi becomes Sakuya when she grows up.
Line-of-Sight Name: In episode 5, Tenchi introduces Sakuya to Ryoko and Ayeka as the characters from the "Monster Busters" arcade game, which Tenchi and Sakuya played earlier. Sakuya called Ryoko and Ayeka "Miss One" and "Miss Two", respectively, because the characters in the game almost bear a resemblance to them.
Market-Based Title: Tenchi in Tokyo was known as Shin Tenchi Muyo! in Japan.
Masked Luchador: Erm, sort've. There's a wrestler that shows up in one episode that wears a mask.
Mind-Control Eyes: Tenchi when he has been brainwashed in the episode when he is hypnotized into marrying Sakuya.
Moment Killer: In the final episode, just when Ryoko is about to kiss Tenchi, Washu pops out of the tree trunk to test her new and improved Dimensional Tunnel. She was then followed by Sasami, and then Ayeka, and finally, Mihoshi and Kiyone. Ryoko proceeds to strangle Washu for ruining her moment.
Shout Out: Pretty Sammy and Pixy Misa (in their Magical Project S costumes) in episode 10, Rio and Yuji (from Burn Up! W) have a cameo role in episode 22. Also in episode 22, Photon makes a cameo appearance.
Show Within a Show: Mihoshi became a huge fan of Space Police Policeman, after she and Kiyone got jobs playing villains in the series.
Stealth Pun: In the Japanese version of episode 9, one of the commercial's slogans is "Denchi muyo!", which translates to "No need for batteries!"
Stood Up: In episode 10, when Tenchi chose to go on a date with Ryoko instead of Sakuya.
Too Dumb to Live / Villain Ball: The plan to separate Tenchi from the others were very spectacular, Yugi would've been successful had she been less obsessed with Sasami and separating literally everyone from Tenchi in order to make them feel loneliness is a necessity, rather than place the moral dilemma of having to kill a bystander like Sakuya just because she had feelings for Tenchi as well as removing him from a normal life.
Actually would've failed anyway, no villain in any Tenchi Muyo! series takes Washu into account.
Unless she's the target, and even then she's usually too wily to be caught.
What Happened to the Mouse?: The very first shot of the series features two mysterious fellows stealing an equally mysterious box from a shrine. Neither they nor the box are ever seen or mentioned again.
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